Lok Sabha passes bill to ease setting up of new nuclear projects

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed, by voice vote, a bill to amend tthe Atomic Energy Act to "overcome difficulties encountered in the setting up of new nuclear projects and enhancement of nuclear power generation"

The Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which will enable the Nuclear Power Corp to enter into joint ventures with other public sector undertakings (PSUs) to fast track nuclear power projects in the country, was introduced in the house on December 7 by Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh.

Replying to a debate on the bill, he said: "India's nuclear programme is on ascension."

He said wherever Prime Minister Narendra Modi went during the past 18 months of his government, he signed "some agreement" or got into "some understanding" related to nuclear power with that country.

"Prime minister, wherever he visits, gets something on nuclear energy," he said.

The minister said that in the years to come, India would start using nuclear energy in generating power.

Singh also cleared all doubts and concerns of the members about safety and security of the country's nuclear power plants.

"All our nuclear plants are safe as they have been designed after taking every minute thing into consideration," he said, adding that most of the deaths in India's nuclear plants have been natural as there have been no death due to exposure to radiation.

"Disposal of spent (nuclear) fuel is done very scientifically and there is nothing to worry about it," he said.

The Congress members were missing from the house when the bill was taken up for vote as they staged a walkout on the issue of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy being excluded from a function to be attended by Prime Minister Modi.

--Indo-Asian News News Service

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